“If the players who wear a Nets jersey don't defend hard, then they don't have a place on the roster. » Jordi Fernandez didn't try to hide his anger after the defeat against the Bucks. We can understand this since his troops had a twelve point lead at the end of the third quarter but they lost.
How ? By conceding 49 points in the last 16 minutes. “No defense to finish the third and no defense to finish the fourth quarter”, notes the Brooklyn coach. “That’s how you win and lose games in the NBA. If we look at the offensive statistics, it's okay. It's just our defense that was worse than bad. »
The technician's disappointment can also be explained, undoubtedly, by the performance of the previous match. The Nets had only conceded 90 points, certainly against an Indiana team which is broken down offensively this season. In addition, the Canada coach has based his entire preparation on this point: his players must give everything in defense, in particular by using a lot of all-terrain pressure.
Jordi Fernandez demanding with his players and with himself
The Nets are valiant but limited (25th defense in the league), as well as perhaps tired from several weeks of effort. Without forgetting that Jordi Fernandez admits that he made a mistake against Giannis Antetokounmpo at the end of the match, with risky double-takes. The Greek was able to serve Bobby Portis twice for 3-point shots.
“You have to be aggressive, overtake with the right angle and rotate with speed. We did it well in the first period, defending the 3-point line,” indicates the coach. “In a close match, we probably had to stay like that. It's my fault. We were punished. We didn't do what we were supposed to do. We did it in sequences, not over time. »
That their coach is honest enough to say that his players have not been up to standard but also to admit when he makes bad decisions is appreciated in the Nets locker room.
“That’s what good coaches do, they hold players accountable and hold players to high standards,” explains Nic Claxton. “They say things, say what they expect. We need that, especially for a young team. We're going to feed off that.
